The Ministry of Education has assured that all public schools will be ready to welcome students next Monday, unveiling a comprehensive maintenance plan aimed at addressing long-standing infrastructure issues across Barbados’ ageing school plants.
Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw said on Thursday that the Education Technical Management Unit (ETMU), in collaboration with the Permanent Secretary, has devised a maintenance plan for all schools.
“You would appreciate that we have 105 public schools across the system. Some of these plants range from 50 to 200 years old. Maintenance is indeed important, but we know that from time to time, we’re going to have issues cropping up that we will have to resolve,” she told reporters following a tour of the St Luke’s Brighton Primary School in St George.
She explained that St Luke’s was one of 47 schools where works were carried out over the summer. However, she stressed that the effort would not be confined to the holiday period.
“This work will continue. We’re . . . going to continue to address these issues over the academic year. We’re going to address them on evenings, on weekends, during Easter break, during Christmas break, and so on. So we have a plan to continuously address the issues related to our schools. Will everything be perfect? No. But we have to be able to be nimble enough to respond in a way that ensures that teaching and learning continue,” Archer-Bradshaw said.
The chief education officer confirmed that all schools across the island will reopen on September 8. “I have here with me the representative from the Education Technical Management Unit, and he has assured me that school can indeed resume on the 8th of September 2025, for all schools across the island. As we speak, we are ensuring that certain checks are being carried out . . . but again, it is about being nimble and being able to respond to any challenges that arise,” she added.
At St Luke’s Brighton, extensive renovations were completed following complaints last academic year about the state of the plant. Technical Officer with the ETMU, Jermaine Springer, detailed the scope of the works.
“So the works we carried out at St Luke’s Brighton were inclusive of ripping out all cabinetry from timber, replacing it with PVC board that includes the principal’s office, the nutrition room, as well as the staff room’s kitchen. We also did extensive work to the walls where we chipped the walls and we plastered the walls and we also painted the walls with mould-retardant paint,” he said.
Springer added that the works also included tiling of several classrooms, new electrical circuitry, replacement of termite-infested doors, moisture treatment to the school hall, new bathroom fixtures, repainting of the plant, and industrial cleaning. An air quality test was also conducted.
He said the project took eight weeks and cost “above $500 000”.
On November 25 last year, the rural school was closed. Classes took place at three satellite sites — Ellerton Community Centre, St Luke’s Anglican Church and Drax Hall Pavilion.
Principal Dr Debbie Bovell said the school body was away from the school for about 30 weeks due to the scale of work that needed to be done.
“I can speak personally for myself and I say I am beyond pleased with the work done by the Ministry of Educational Transformation; and on behalf of the staff and the entire parent body and of course the students whom we serve, I am more than satisfied that we are ready to resume school here on Monday,” she said.
The school comprises 98 students and 19 staffers.
The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) expressed satisfaction with the improvements. Second Vice President Andre Holder said: “After the tour this morning of St Luke’s Brighton, the Barbados Union of Teachers is indeed very satisfied with the level and the quality of work that was conducted over the last few weeks . . . We look forward to the start of the new term.”
Deputy Secretary of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union, Coradean Layne, also endorsed the readiness of the school.
“I can say everything looks clean and fresh. All the classrooms look ready, [it’s] just to [bring] the children [back to their classroom] so teaching can take place. Everything looks ready for school.”
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
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